Two businesses fined over illegal vape sales

The company behind Vapa-fone in Shrewsbury was ordered to pay over £5,000

Two businesses have been fined thousands of pounds over underage and illegal vape sales.

Shropshire Council said Positive Business Communications Ltd, trading as Vapa-fone on Castle Street in Shrewsbury, was ordered to pay over £5,000 after a 17-year-old was able to buy a vape.

In a separate case, a convenience store and its owner were ordered to pay over £21,000 after oversized vapes were seized from three shops.

Both businesses were convicted and issued with fines at Telford Magistrates Court.

Oversized vapes seized

The council brought the case against Positive Business Communications Ltd after a test purchase last year, in which a 17-year-old volunteer was able to buy an Elfbar vape without being challenged about their age.

The company was found guilty at a hearing on 31 July, fined £1,500 and ordered to pay other costs worth £3,535.10.

The company denied the charge and said it carried out all reasonable precautions, but the court was not satisfied it had met the requirements, the council said in a statement.

In the second case, Niro & Show UK Ltd admitted five charges of selling oversized vapes at three shops at a hearing on 5 August.

Oversized vapes had been seized from the Thresher store in Shrewsbury, the Oswestry Convenience Store and Londis in Worthen.

The company was ordered to pay fines and costs of £16,621, while its owner Showkumar Jeyaratnam was ordered to pay fines and costs of £5021.